Snowden not on board plane taking off for Havana - source

Former CIA employee was expected to fly to Cuba and then to Ecuador

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Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, June 25 (Itar-Tass) - An Aeroflot plane took off for Havana from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport without former CIA employee Edward Snowden on board, a source from the airport security service told Tass on Tuesday.

Snowden was expected to fly to Cuba and then to Ecuador. “The plane took off at 14:25 Moscow time. Snowden did not register for the flight, and he is not on board,” the source said.

Another source from the airport said the former CIA employee had not left the transit zone. “He is still in the transit zone, he has not crossed the Russian border formally. Possibly he has not resolved as of yet where to go further,” he said.

Sources from law enforcement agencies once again confirmed that their officers have no grounds for detaining Snowden.”He is not on the international wanted list, which could be the grounds for detaining him. He neither committed any wrongful acts on the Russian territory. Moreover, he did not formally cross the Russian border,” the sources said.

Besides, there are no grounds for expelling or deporting him from the country. “A foreign national can be expelled from the country in case he violates the migration legislation, but there are no such claims to Snowden. Besides, he has not crossed the Russian border,” the sources added.